


Childbirth by Howard

by Dusty1918



Series: ___ by Howard [4]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Baby Sousa on the way, F/M, Pregnant Peggy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:57:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6891142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty1918/pseuds/Dusty1918
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy goes into labor while Daniel is out of town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Mmmmmmm,” Peggy moans as another contraction hits her. Bugger, the baby isn’t due for four weeks and Daniel flew to New York two days ago to attend his grandmother’s 80th birthday party. Neither of them were comfortable with her flying at this point. He’d insisted that she stay at Howard’s in case she went into labor. She agreed even though she’d insisted that 1st babies usually came late. The only thing that would wipe off his smirk at being right is his sadness at missing the birth.

Peggy rubs her belly gently. “Little one,” she whispers, “your pai isn’t here right now. I need you to stay put until he gets back, please.”

In answer, a wet patch forms under her on the bed. Her water has broken. She can’t put this off any longer. She needs to call Mr. Jarvis on the house phone system so he can take her to the hospital. Peggy picks up the phone and dials the extension for Mr. Jarvis and Ana’s room, except she is one number off. 

“This better be good,” a sleepy Howard answers. 

“Howard? I apologize. I was trying to call the Jarvises.” ‘Jarvises’ is stretched into more syllables than normal as another contraction hits.

“Peg?” Howard is instantly awake. “Are you OK?”

“Howard, I appear to be in labor and was attempting to call Mr. Jarvis to take me to the hospital.”

“I’m on my way and I’ll have Jarvis bring the car around.”

“Thank you, Howard.”  
\-----  
Within 10 minutes, Peggy, Howard, and the Jarvises are on their way to the hospital. Ana sits in the back seat with Peggy, whispering soft, soothing words to her in Hungarian. 

After unloading Peggy, Edwin parks the car while Ana wakes Daniel up in New York to let him know his child is on its way. The orderly is about to wheel Peggy to the maternity floor, when she grabs Howard’s hand. “Stay with me, Howard. Please.”

“Anything for you, Peg.” No one notices a nurse glancing at them before picking up a nearby phone.  
\-----  
Howard is kicked out of Peggy's room several hours later when it is time for her to move to the delivery room. The things he saw and heard during that time reminded him why he had no plans to become a father in the near future, if ever. The language that came out of Peggy's mouth would have made Col. Phillips and the Howling Commandos blush. Plus she broke his right hand during one painful contraction.

When he, Jarvis, and Ana are allowed to see her again, she is holding a baby wrapped in a blue blanket.

“Does he have a name yet, Mrs. Sousa?,” Ana asks. 

“Daniel and I have a few in mind but I will wait until he arrives to make it official. Mr. Jarvis, has he been able to book a flight yet?”

“Yes, Mrs. Sousa, he gets in tomorrow morning. I will meet him at the airport and bring him here.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jarvis,” she says before yawning. 

“Edwin, let's let them rest and call Chief Sousa with the happy news.” Ana leads her husband out of the room. 

Peggy looks from her son up to Howard. “Thank you for everything, Howard. I really am sorry about your hand.”

“No worries, Peg. Ladies love a guy with an injury.”

Peggy chuckles as Baby Boy Sousa stirs in her arms.

“Howard, can you excuse us, please? This wee chap is ready for his lunch.”

“You can feed him in front of me, Peg. We’re old friends.”

“Howard, I do not wish to punch you with my son in my arms. Get out!”

“Alright, alright.” He walks over to the head of the bed and kisses her on the top of her head. “You did real good, kid,” he says before heading to the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel slowly makes his way down the plane's stairs. When he reaches the bottom, he finds Howard and Mr. Jarvis standing next to a car parked near by. Howard has an unlit cigar in his mouth. 

“Danny boy, you missed all the excitement,” Howard says as he slaps Daniel on the shoulder. 

“That is what I hear. Thank you for being there for Peggy and the baby.”

“It was our pleasure, Chief Sousa." Jarvis takes Daniel's bags and puts them in the trunk. 

Once inside the car, Howard lights his cigar and hands Daniel a Cuban cigar box. “Congrats! I got you these to celebrate. Thought the boys at the office might like them. Give one to Rose, too.”

“Thank you, Howard.” He points to Howard's wrapped broken hand. “Did Peggy do that?”

“Yeah. I would say she is stronger than she looks but we already knew that. But Peg in labor is a different beast. Some of the things she said shocked even me!”

“That is saying something.” Daniel tosses a newspaper into Howard’s lap. “Has she seen this?” The paper is open to a headline that reads ‘Howard Stark Accompanies Brunette Mistress to Hospital for Birth of Love Child’.

“Sorry ‘bout that. I don’t think she has seen it. I have a press conference set for tomorrow to deny it. The hospital thinks a nurse leaked it when we arrived.”

“Might not want to be around when I show it to her. She might break your other hand.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Howard in this one but Daniel does meet his son.

Daniel stops outside room 302. There is a sign on it that says ‘Sousa’ along with his son’s birthdate, weight, and length. He touches the blue writing with awe: his son. No one answers when he knocks. Entering the room, he finds Peggy asleep. She is on her side, facing the door. He leans over and kisses her forehead. 

Peggy slowly opens her eyes and smiles when she sees her husband. “Hello, chief.”

“Hi, Peggy,” Daniel says before kissing her on the lips. He sits down in the chair by her bed. “I hear our son is as impatient as his mother.”

“I tried to get him to wait for you but he is an obstinate little thing.”

He chuckles softly. “I wish I had been here.”

“I know. Me, too.”

“But avó is pleased as punch that her new great-grandbaby shares her birthday.”

Peggy sits up in the bed. “I think it is high time that my two favorite Sousa men meet.” She picks up the bedside phone and calls the nurses’ station. “This is Mrs. Sousa. My husband has arrived and would like to meet the baby.” She hangs up the phone and turns to Daniel. “Can you turn the chair so you are facing the head of the bed, please?” Daniel does as she says, placing the chair along the side of the bed near her knees and facing her head. He sits down again. 

A few minutes later, a nurse enters carrying a blue wrapped bundle that she places in Daniel’s arms. Peggy picks up the camera on the nightstand and snaps photos of Daniel looking at the baby. “Daniel.” He looks up at her with a huge grin and she snaps more photos. “I think that smile could power the lights in LA for a week, Daniel.”

“Wow! He’s ours, Peg, and he is perfect and little.”

Peggy shifts a little in the bed. “He didn’t feel so little when he was trying to be born. I think he has your big head.”

“Sorry about that. It looks like you are right. I think he has my ears, too. Poor kid.”

“I’m rather fond of your ears.” Daniel shutters slightly as he remembers all the times Peggy has sucked on his ears. “We still need to decide on a name. Some of the nurses have been giving me nasty looks because his bassinet still has him as ‘Baby Boy Sousa’.”

“I like ‘Baby Boy Sousa’. It makes him sound like a gangster.”

“That is true but we would probably end up having to arrest him. I believe parents arresting their children is frowned upon in America.”

Daniel looks back at the baby. “I know we talked about naming him after Michael but I was thinking on the plane. . .” He pauses and looks back at her. “What do you think about Steven? I wouldn't be here and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.”

Steven. She had thought about it but wasn’t sure about suggesting to Daniel that they name their child after her former love. She should have known that Daniel would have no issue with it. 

“I love it.”

“And his middle name can be Carter. We could call him by it since Steve’s shoes are big ones to fill.”

“Steven Carter Sousa - perfect.”

“Hello, Carter, I’m your pai. The lady with the funny accent is your mummy,” Daniel whispers to the dark haired baby. In reply, Carter begins to fuss. Daniel’s face is instantly panic stricken. “Peggy, what did I do?”

“First of all, you made a crack about my accent. Secondly, he is probably hungry. Hand him to me, please.”

Daniel shifts the baby to his left arm and slowly rises, using his right hand on the bed as support. He’d spent the last few weeks practicing holding a weight and walking without his crutch for short distances. By the time he hands her the baby, she has uncovered one of her breasts. Carter quickly latches on and begins to feed. 

“The nurses are impressed at what a good eater he is. Looks like he is a breast man like his father,” Peggy says with a smile.

“Come on, Peg, you know I am an all over man when it comes to you.”

“That is true. You don’t happen to have the newspaper, do you? I’ve asked but no one will bring me a copy.”

Daniel runs a thumb over his eyebrow. “Yeah, I have a copy. Before you see it, let me assure you Howard is holding a press conference tomorrow to rectify the situation.”

“What has he done now that needs rectifying?”

Daniel hands her the newspaper opened to the ‘Howard Stark Accompanies Brunette Mistress to Hospital for Birth of Love Child’ headline.

“Bloody Nora!,” she whispers to not disturb Carter. “Where is Howard? I believe there are some other parts of him that I need to break.”

“I think he is a little scared to come near you right now. It looks like the leak came from a nurse.”

“What is the follow up headline going to say? ‘Howard Stark Denies Knocking Up Captain America’s Girl, Betty Carver’?”

“Everything will be all right, Peg. Plus now I know to have Samberly make me some anti-crush gloves before we have the next one. Nice of Howard to take one for the team,” he says with a wink.


End file.
